The Women's World Banking Team

Elizabeth Gathai

Regional Head of Africa

Bio

Elizabeth is a seasoned banking professional with over 20 years of experience in Kenya’s Tier 1 banking sector. She currently serves as the Regional Head for Africa at Women’s World Banking, following her role as the Group Director of MSME at Equity Group Holdings, PLC. Elizabeth has a proven track record in leadership across MSME, Digitization, and Credit, excelling in driving business growth and profitability while developing innovative financial solutions tailored to the unique needs of MSMEs in Africa.

Notably, she was a key member of the core team that spearheaded the transformation of Equity Building Society into Equity Bank and played a pivotal role in its evolution into a Pan-African group in the East Africa region. Additionally, she spearheaded the design and development of the group’s credit scoring engine, leveraging modern technology and AI tools to facilitate more convenient access to credit for MSMEs.

Elizabeth holds an MBA from the University of Nairobi and several advanced management certifications. Her dedication to fostering collaboration and innovation in the MSME sector drives her commitment to financial inclusion and economic empowerment across the region.